Signs & Wonders Blog

As a child, I became a Minnesota Vikings fan and memorized National Football League statistics. Sometimes I made up fictitious leagues. I created nicknames and uniforms for these teams in my mind’s eye. I also rooted for competitors like the United States Football League to succeed. Because the NFL has become a multi-billion dollar monopoly, a new league will unlikely give them a serious challenge soon. The USFL recently made a comeback but has since merged into what’s now the United Football League, a minor league playing in the spring. In recent years, I’ve cut back on watching NFL games . To save time, I watch highlights on YouTube (especially when the Vikings are playing well). I also don’t like recent changes the league made. If, by some act of God, they made me the NFL commissioner, I would like to see the following things happen: Expansion. The league now plays a few regular-season games in London and Mexico City. Many U. S. cities desire an NFL franchise. Eight might be to...

Although I still avoid watching NFL games , I continue to follow the Minnesota Vikings . This past Thursday, they played against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I googled the score after a Facebook friend commented that the Vikings looked the best they had all year. At that point, they were ahead 29-0 during the third quarter. Later before going to sleep, I checked on the final score. The Vikings held off a Steeler rally and won 36-28. Had they lost, it would’ve set an NFL record for the largest regular-season comeback (the Buffalo Bills once overcame a 32-point deficit in a playoff game).  It reminded me of a saying attributed to Yogi Berra (though he didn’t utter these exact words): “It ain’t over till it’s over.”  The Bible mentions individuals who found themselves in difficult situations but didn’t give up and came back victorious… Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Despite being a faithful servant, his master’s wife accused him of raping her and was put into prison....

In less than a month, the National Football League will begin a new regular season. I used to enjoy watching their games on TV. This year I plan to shy away from that even more.   Many fans like myself are opposed to the NFL permitting players to disrespect “The Star-Spangled Banner. ” Last year, the league started pairing that with “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which has been called a “black national anthem.” Despite widespread criticism, Commissioner Roger Goodell declared, “We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter…Without black players, there would be no National Football League.”  That’s not entirely true. The league existed before segregation in professional sports ended. I’m not against “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as a song. It originated from a Christian hymnal. However, playing a “black national anthem” before games is divisive instead of unifying. As stated before, I do not support the Black Lives Matter movement . The league has also succumbed...

As a kid in school, we began the day by standing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Back then, none of my classmates made an issue about it. It would have been considered abnormal for refusing to do so. Patriotism wasn’t forced upon us. We were simply taught to honor our country and its leaders. Currently, there’s a controversy over football players and the national anthem. This was initiated two years ago by Colin Kaepernick, former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers. Prior to a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, Kaepernick took a knee not to honor God or fallen soldiers but as a protest against alleged mistreatment of blacks by police. He told reporters, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” I admired Kaepernick’s playing abilities but disagreed with him dissing a symbol that represents freedom for all Americans. Since becoming a free agent following the 2016 season, Kaepernick ha...

Sports fans in America love rooting for the underdog. Just over a year ago, the Chicago Cubs had many people pulling for them (myself included) as they won their first World Series in 108 years. Now another franchise with a reputation of losing big games has a chance of finally winning it all. It happens to be my favorite football team. The Minnesota Vikings began playing in 1961 as an NFL expansion team. Eight years later, they appeared in their first Super Bowl but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. Three years after that, I started watching Vikings games on TV while growing up in Moorhead, Minnesota. The following season, they reached Super Bowl VIII, which was played on my tenth birthday. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a Super Sunday for me as the Vikings lost to the Miami Dolphins. Nevertheless, I remained a Minnesota Vikings fan with quarterback Fran Tarkenton as my favorite player. Throughout the rest of the 1970s, I watched almost every Vikings game on TV. They consistently w...

Mention the phrase “Hail Mary” and football fans think of a desperation pass usually thrown by a team trailing in the final seconds of a close game. The phrase became part of the football lexicon following a 1975 NFL playoff game in which (to my disappointment) the Minnesota Vikings lost to the Dallas Cowboys. Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach revealed he “closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary” before throwing the winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Drew Pearson. The traditional Hail Mary prayer recited by Catholics like Staubach goes like this… Hail Mary, full of grace. Our Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. When witnessing to Catholics, I’m sometimes asked about praying to the Virgin Mary. There are reasons why that is unscriptural… Mary did not remain a virgin after Jesus’ birth. Matthew 1:25 says Joseph “...did not ...

Every year millions of people gather around televisions to watch the Super Bowl.  The first time I ever watched it was on my tenth birthday in 1974. I was full of excitement since the Minnesota Vikings was one of the teams playing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. That morning at Sunday school, the teacher noticed my zeal for the big game. In front of the whole class he asked me, “Which is more important…church or football?” Without hesitation I replied, “Football.” My dad scolded me when he later found out about this. Back then I didn’t see any benefit in going to church. We attended a traditional institution that gave me wrong perceptions of Christianity (it would be another 17 years before I realized how real God is).  The Vikings ended up losing Super Bowl VIII to the Miami Dolphins. It would be their second of four Super Bowl losses during the 1970s. My favorite team hasn’t returned to the big game in almost 40 years. I would like to see the Vikings win it at ...

Last Sunday I watched Super Bowl XLIX between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. I rooted for Seattle partially because their quarterback Russell Wilson is an outspoken Christian. Like Kurt Warner of the St. Louis Rams 15 years before, I had hoped to see Russell lead his team to victory and then thank Jesus on national television. Near the end of the game with the Patriots leading 28-24, it appeared God had His hand on what looked to become a come-from-behind victory for Seattle. Wide receiver Jermaine Kearse juggled and caught a 33-yard pass from Russell at the Patriot's five-yard line. It reminded me of the miraculous helmet catch New York Giants receiver David Tyree (who’s also a Christian) made against the Patriots seven years ago in Super Bowl XLII. Two plays later, I was stunned and disappointed when  a rookie Patriots cornerback named Malcolm Butler made a game-saving interception near the goal line. Later I found out Malcolm is a believer who had...

For years I’ve enjoyed watching NFL games on TV especially when the Minnesota Vikings are playing well. This fall I will be watching fewer (if any) games if a particular player makes it through training camp and continues receiving massive publicity. Last weekend, a University of Missouri defensive end named Michael Sam was drafted in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams. A homosexual who “came out” this past February, Michael reacted to the news of being drafted by kissing his boyfriend. That incident was broadcast all over national TV and the Internet.  Not everyone in the NFL was pleased with Michael Sam’s kiss. Miami Dolphins strong safety Don Jones tweeted “OMG” and “horrible” but later deleted those politically incorrect words and offered an apology. Nevertheless, the Dolphins fined and suspended Jones who is now required to attend “sensitivity training.” This kind of training actually desensitizes people of sinful behavior. It’s ridiculous for Michael Sam’s entry ...

Today millions of people will gather around TV sets to see the Seattle Seahawks take on the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. Despite the fact I enjoy watching NFL games, I plan to avoid certain parts of the telecast. One of them is Queen Latifah singing “God Bless America” before the kickoff. This is the same woman who  at last Sunday’s Grammy Awards  officiated a mass wedding that included homosexual couples. The Super Bowl halftime shows also had a couple of profane incidents by their performers. Although the commercials are often clever and entertaining, I’d rather just watch the football game. Prior to previous Super Bowls, my mom and dad often asked me to make a prediction. Usually, I haven’t come close to the final score but there have been exceptions. Prior to Super Bowl XXXVI, I picked the St. Louis Rams to beat the New England Patriots 20-17. However, I also told my parents that the game could go into overtime with the New England Patriots pulling off an up...

Every fourth Thursday of November, millions of Americans gather together with family and friends to feast on turkey and maybe watch football games on TV.  S ince 1863,  Thanksgiving has been a  federal holiday in America.   Canadians have a similar holiday on the second Monday of October. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines thanksgiving as “ the expression of gratitude, especially to God.”   But many folks don’t honor the Lord at all on a holiday also referred to as “turkey day.”   J. Jackson of the Christian parody band ApologetiX wrote in one of their newsletters, “ Thanksgiving without God is like Christmas without Christ.”   2 Timothy 3:2 
tells us that in the last days men will be “unthankful.” One thing many people aren’t thankful for is how God made them. A few years ago I found out Chastity Bono (the daughter of Cher and the late Sonny Bono) underwent a sex change and now calls “himself” Chaz Bono.   While Chaz...

I enjoy watching football and baseball games on TV…especially if the Vikings and Twins are playing well.   But one thing I loathe is the increasing number of sporting events and stadiums named after businesses.   During the 1980’s, organizers of college bowl games started giving corporate sponsors “naming rights .”   All these games used to have simple names like the Rose Bowl and the Cotton Bowl.   Now we have games such as the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl and The Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas .   What’s really confusing is many of these games change their name every few years.   For example, this year’s Belk Bowl (to be played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina) was previously called the Meineke Car Care Bowl, the Continental Tire Bowl, and before that the Queen City Bowl. Nowadays, most major league teams play in venues named after a corporate sponsor.   In 1990 when the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves announced th...